Thanksgiving Safety for Your Dogs

Ah, Thanksgiving, a joyous holiday when friends and family join us for football, lounging and
all-day tryptophan- filled turkey tasting. The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie and turkey
all baking in the oven slowly filter through the house, driving you — and your dog — slowly mad.
With all of this temptation, it’s tough not to get distracted, but let’s not forget that with
delicious human food comes pet risk.

Here are a few simple tips to help pet-proof this Thanksgiving holiday

Keep your dog out of the kitchen and in place.

Accidental counter-surfing can result in severe poisoning to your pet, ruining your holiday and causing
you shame when you have to induce vomiting in your dog in front of all your friends and family
(Always check with your veterinarian or Animal Poison Control Center prior
to inducing vomiting).

Don’t let friends and family feed your pets
Next, make sure your guests know the house rules: Don’t feed your pets. Your friends and family may
not be aware of the common kitchen foods that are quite poisonous to pets. Politely inform all your
guests to keep their food out of reach and to ask permission before feeding any treats
(particularly if your pet has food allergies).

Dump the trash
Your dog may try and find a way to get into it, and the leftover corn-on-the-cob, yummy string that
goes around the turkey legs, turkey skin, bones, moldy food, and fatty grizzle all pose a threat to
your pet. You watch your dog.

Thanksgiving Foods that are Toxic to Dogs and Cats.

It might be tempting to give your dog a sample of your holiday fare, but dogs can’t tolerate many
human ingredients.

Turkey (or any meat)

All meat should be well cooked and always boneless. Bones are bad Although bones from our holiday
birds look good to pets, they are dangerous and can cause intestinal upset and may even splinter
once digested. These splinters can cause damage to the intestines that can lead to infection,
intestinal blockage, or even the death of the dog or cat if not treated appropriately.Know This Sage Wisdom

Sage and some other herbs have essential oils that can cause tummy upset and central nervous system
depression if a dog eats them in large quantities. Most dogs aren’t going to nosh on a fistful of
sage, but keep herbs out of reach just in case. Cats are especially sensitive to this herb; it can
cause stomach upset and central nervous system depression.

Bread dough
Raw dough could actually rise in your pet’s sensitive tummy causing discomfort or an even more
serious emergency.

C a k e b a t t er
Raw eggs can cause salmonella infection in your pet, just as it can for anyone in your family.
Stick to dog biscuits and kitty treats instead of this sugary concoction. Chocolate is particularly
toxic Consider all the cookie and desserts offered during the holidays, many of which contain
chocolate. Chocolate is dangerous for dogs in particular because it contains theobromine, a
caffeine-like ingredient that can be toxic to your pet. Dogs are not able to metabolize theobromine
as quickly as humans.

Too much of anything
Little tastes of human food could cause stomach pains, diarrhea and even pancreatitis in your pet.
The same goes for you, you should both practice moderation!

Wrappings
Dispose of aluminum foil, plastic wrap and wax paper. While licking up food left on these wrappings
pets can ingest some of the wrapper, leading to intestinal obstructions. Also, look out for tooth
picks, skewers and used silverware.

Hot food
When carrying hot food from the stove or to the table, be sure little Fluffy isn’t taking that
moment to weave through your legs.
See: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons IF IN DOUBT CALL YOUR VET OR EMERGENCY CLINIC